WHITCHURCH'S GALLANTRY. 443 abandoned, and Whitchurch partly dragged, partly carried the woundedofficer along,laying him down at times to head a charge against the pursuers. He had in this way to clear the enemy out from behindthree or four stone walls cm the line of retreat, charging at the head iif the Goorkhas revolver in hand. Losing men every minute, and finding that the main body of the enemy hadgot betweenhim and the fort,he workedround them by making a detour to theriver bank. As he nearedthe gate, only seven of his party were left, but close to the fort he ralliedsix of the fugitives. Not oneof the party flinched for a moment from the fight to save the wounded officer. Unfortunately poorBaird was hit twice during the retreat, the second time just at the gate of the fort, as he rested his head on Whitchurch's shoulder. The brave doctor was only hit once, and then was only slightly bruised by a spent ball. Baird died next day in the fort, and in his last hours sent for Robertson and toldhim ina failing voice thestory of Whitchurch's devoted heroism. He was anxious it should not go unrecognised. Whitchurch was given the Victoria Cross, and the brave native soldiers who had stood by him received the Indianmilitarymedal.

sion on the Chitral territory ;and as soon as this object has bsen attained the force will be withdrawn. The Government of India have no intention of permanently occupying any territory through which Umra Khan's misconduct may force them to pass, or ofinterfering with the independenceof the tribes; and they will scrupulously avoidany acts of hostility towards the tribesmen, solong as they on their part refrain from attacking or impeding inany way themarch of the troops. Supplies and transport will be paid for, and all persons are at liberty to pursue their ordinary avocations in perfect security."

While the field force was being got ready, news reachedthe Government of further acts of hostility on the part of Umra Khan and Sher Afzul. Their adherents had attacked the troops ie way to Chitral from Mastuj with supplies of ammunition for the garrison, and there had been another disaster. On March ist a native officer, who with forty men was escorting ammunitionto Chitral, reportedfrom the village of Buni to Lieutenant Moberly, the commandant of Mastuj, that the road was blocked, and he had halted expecting an attack. On the 4th Captain Ross and Lieutenant Jones reached Mastuj with a detachment of the 14th Sikhs. and Ross marched out to Buni with fifty men, accompanied by Lieutenants Edwardes and fowler, R.E., who were going the same road with a convoy of engineering stores and tools for the Chitral garrison. In the evening he came back to Mastuj, reporting that all was quiet at Buni and that the two engineer officers were going on next day with the ammunition convoy. But next day came a note from Edwardes, dated from Koragh, a dangerous defile beyondBuni,saying that the country was up in arms, and he expected to be attacked at Reshun village. Ross marched to his help on the 7th, taking with him Lieutenant Jones, ninety-four of the Sikhs, and seventeen camp followers.

The news of UmraKhan's aggression and the perilous state of the Chitral garrison reached the Indian Government on March 7th. An ultimatumwas at once addressed to Umra warning him to evacuateChitral territory before the end of the month, and immediate steps were taken to mobilisearelieving force in the neighbourhood ofPeshawur. It was not certain that help could reach the garrison from Gilgit, as between that place and Chitral lay the Shandur Pass, 13,000 feet above the sea anddeep in snow at this season. But Colonel Kelly at Gilgit was given a free hand to do whatever might be possible. Inview of the comingadvance which must pass through the districts of Swat and Bajaur, where the tribes were jealous of their independence, the Government issued a proclamation addressedto those ofthe mountaineers who did not side with Umra Khan. After describinghis aggression as a breach of faith and quoting the terms of the ultimatum addressedto him, the Government went on to make pledges, which have since then led to serious discussions as to tne good faith of our frontier policy. These were the important -es of the proclamation:— He reached Buni at elevena.m., and,leaving there a postof a native officer and thirty-three men, he pushed on with the rest for Reshun.

At one p.m. he halted at the entrance of the Koragh defile. Believing the pass to be clear, he pushed on,but in the defile, at a point where the path ran up the hillside, he was fired on heavily from sungars in front,stones were rolled down upon him, and the enemy appeared on the flank rear of the column. The carriers threw down their loads andbolted. An attempt to clear the way in front and to get back towards Buni were both defeated with heavy loss,and the remains of the party took refugein some caves, where they were fired on for the "The sole object of the Government is to put an end to the present, and prevent any future, unlawful aggres-